The
Department of City Planning proposes to rezone a 30-block
area in the Central Riverdale and Spuyten
Duyvil neighborhoods in the northwest Bronx to preserve
their scale and character. The existing R7-1 and R6
zoning districts in these neighborhoods permit development
to be substantially taller than the prevailing context.
The zoning districts proposed, R6A and R7A, would
better reflect
that context. These recommendations are in keeping
with goals delineated in CB
8 2000: A River to Reservoir Preservation Strategy,
a 197-a Plan prepared by Bronx Community Board 8, and
approved by the City Planning
Commission and by the City Council in late 2003.

Study
Area Overview
The neighborhoods of Central Riverdale and Spuyten
Duyvil, located along the Henry Hudson Parkway close
to Manhattan, are characterized by varied topography,
river views, and a mix of low-rise and mid-rise housing
types. More than 82% of the 176 lots in the rezoning
area are residentially developed. The remaining lots
with non-residential uses are occupied mainly by low-rise
stores along 235th Street and Johnson Avenue, as well
as community facilities and a few vacant lots scattered
throughout the area. Of the 144 residentially developed
lots, approximately 92% contain buildings no higher
than eight stories (31% six- to eight-story apartment
houses and 61% detached, semi-detached and rowhouse
development). The few high-rise apartment buildings
(8% of residential lots) are located along the Henry
Hudson Parkway and Knolls Crescent.

The rezoning area is currently zoned R7-1 north
of 232nd Street and R6 south of 232nd Street in the
Central Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil neighborhoods,
respectively. These are mid-density residential zoning
districts that allow for multiple dwellings with
no maximum building height. The R6 zoning district
has a maximum residential floor area ratio (FAR)
of 2.43 which typically results in buildings between
three and twelve stories high. The R7-1 zoning district
permits a maximum residential FAR of 3.44 and typically
results in the development of buildings between twelve
and fourteen stories high.

Typical R6A development on Arlington Avenue in
the proposed Central Riverdale R6A district

Neighborhood context, a mix of mid-rise apartment
houses and one- and two-family homes, at West
232nd Street & Arlington Avenue.

Proposed
Rezoning
An area generally bounded by West 239th Street to the
north, Johnson and Fairfield avenues to the east, Johnson
Avenue to the south, and Independence Avenue to the
west is proposed to be rezoned from R7-1 and R6 zoning
districts to R7A and R6A contextual zoning districts.

The proposed R7A district in Central Riverdale would
permit multifamily buildings with a maximum FAR of
4.0 and a building height limit of 80 feet, resulting
in eight- or nine-story buildings with streetwall
and setback requirements. The proposed R6A district
for Spuyten Duyvil and the southeastern portion of
Central Riverdale would allow multiple-unit dwellings
with a maximum FAR of 3.0 built to a maximum height
of 70 feet, with streetwall and setback requirements,
typically resulting in seven- to eight-story buildings.

The proposed zoning changes would limit the heights
of new developments to correspond to the neighborhood’s
residential context and built form, keeping with
the typical scale and prevailing character of the
Central Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil neighborhoods.

Public
Review
On June 21, 2004, the Department of City Planning certified the Uniform
Land Use
Review Procedure (ULURP) application for the Central Riverdale/Spuyten Duyvil
rezoning to begin the formal public review process. Both Community Board 8 and
Borough President issued recommendations in favor of the application. The City
Planning Commission public hearing was held on August 11, 2004 and on September 8, 2004 unanimously approved the zoning changes. (Read
the CPC
Report). On September 28, 2004 the City Council adopted the zoning changes
which are now in effect.

For more information on the Central Riverdale / Spuyten Duyvil Rezoning, please
contact the Bronx Office of the Department of City Planning
at (718) 220-8500.